


The Truth is (Probably Always) Worse

by jayyxx



Category: Kingsman (Movies)
Genre: Eggsy Unwin Needs a Hug, Harry Lives, Hurt/Comfort, Implied Harry Hart | Galahad/Gary "Eggsy" Unwin, M/M, Post-Canon, duh - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-15
Updated: 2018-12-15
Packaged: 2019-09-18 16:49:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,250
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16998810
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jayyxx/pseuds/jayyxx
Summary: Eggsy looks to the floor and gathers himself. “How is he?”Merlin’s mouth twitches. “No change.”Eggsy takes a heaving breath before nodding, silent and so very unsteady. “Right.” He mumbles and Merlin can almost feel his pain, so like his own, in the stutter of breaths and quietness of his emotional shame. He holds up a finger. “I’ll be right back.”





	The Truth is (Probably Always) Worse

**Author's Note:**

> i literally don’t ship these two idk why i have this on my mind? i just wanna see eggsy taken care of ok bye
> 
> also, i am... incredibly canadian. i'm sorry for butchering any english-ness.

It’s... It’s not good. 

Harry’s been sleeping for a couple days now. The doctors say this is good - giving the brain time to heal and focus on important bodily functions, instead of the fretting and getting in and out of bed Harry would be doing if he was awake. They’d have to tie him to the bed just to get him to rest. Merlin grins at the thought. 

His data-pad alerts him that Little Galahad has entered the med wing, and is most likely stomping through anyone’s insistence of him signing the visitation form. 

He’s most certainly right, as he stands from his perch at the end of Harry’s bed and goes to stand in the hallway, he sees Eggsy, already near tears, power-walking as a woman yells, “Sir! Sir, you must sign...” 

Merlin feels instantly awful as the boy approaches. This is going to suck. 

Eggsy comes to a halt in front of him, shoulders shaking, but back, and chin tipped high although his lip is already quivering. Merlin is waving off the ever insistent nurse as he makes his way to muttering, “Show me, then.” 

Merlin doesn’t want him to see. 

“Eggsy, I must warn you...” 

“Can’t be worse than what’ve already seen,” he dismisses, and he might as well have hit Merlin in the stomach. 

Closing his eyes, he opens the door, and allows Eggsy to slip inside. 

Truth is, this _is_ probably worse. 

Even with the tubes hooking him up, keeping him breathing, nourished and alive, it’s not hard to look past it all when you see his face. Half of which is wrapped in bandage, underneath is bruised and white with scar tissue, and the other half is still, unmoving, pale as the starched sheet he lays on. 

Eggsy stops as soon as he enters, and Merlin _knew_ this wasn’t going to go well. 

Merlin walks in past him to return to his spot beside Harry’s knee. Eggsy’s mouth opens and closes, and all three of them can sense his distress. _Thank God_ Harry isn’t awake, or he’d be standing in an instant, pulling out his wires to get a hand on the boy, tell him everything’s okay even though it’s not. It’s so clearly not. 

Eggsy looks to the floor and gathers himself. “How is he?”

Merlin’s mouth twitches. “No change.” 

Eggsy takes a heaving breath before nodding, silent and so very unsteady. “Right.” He mumbles and Merlin can almost feel his pain, so like his own, in the stutter of breaths and quietness of his emotional shame. He holds up a finger. “I’ll be right back.” 

And he turns, and opens the door, and slinks outside. Merlin can see through the window as he nearly darts down the hallway. He sighs and puts his face in his hands. Thinks to all the times he’s told the boy to get a hold of himself, to not show emotion, and only wishes that now was not the time he listens. 

“It’s alright, Har, he’s just scared, is’all. He’ll come ‘round.” He says, patting Harry’s hand, carful of the IV tubing. He stares at his blank face for a moment, before returning to rub a thumb across his brow. “I’ll just... I’ll go get ‘im. Kay? I’m sure he’s fine.” 

He stands with a final pat to the bed and heads for the door. “It’s alright, Har. I’ll be right back.” 

He even leaves his data-pad on the sleeping man's lap to prove. 

He checks the next room over, finding it empty and the med-bed still crisp. Wandering down the hallway a bit he finds a men’s room. He’s found Eggsy in Kingsmen washrooms before, doubled over and sobbing for God knows what reason. His gut clenches, and takes a shuddering breath before entering it. 

As the door creeks, the room is entirely silent - so much so that Merlin thinks he’ll have to search the whole bloody place to find the kid, but something in the back of the room shuffles, and he steps inside. “Galahad?” 

Probably not the right thing to say, as the person in the last stall lets out a half sob, but hindsight’s twenty-twenty, he supposed. He walks to the end of the stalls and takes a slight glance under the last door. He sees a man sat on the nasty hospital floor, knees to chest and probably wrinkling his suit awfully. He taps against the door. “Eggsy...” He sighs. 

The boy groans. 

“C’mon then, open up.” 

He gives him a moment of sniffles and shuffles before the door comes softly unlocked with a click. Merlin steps to the side, and opens it slowly with a hand on top of the door. Behind it; well. 

It’s not good. And that seems to be today’s theme. 

Eggsy looks absolutely _miserable_ with his suit unbuttoned and hair our of place. Merlin had only seen him a moment ago, but that was clearly enough time for him to have a full meltdown, tears and all, in the bathroom like a high schooler. 

He makes his heartache. 

“Oh dear.” He huffs. Eggsy coughs a laugh, which quickly turns into sobbing once more. His hands come to cover his face. 

Merlin pulls his hands away and swipes the bags under his eyes, thumbing the tears off his skin with a gentleness he’s not shown the boy before. Having him stand before him all teary-eyed and miserable, it’s not hard to draw him into his arms. 

Whether he drew him in, whether he fell in, doesn’t matter. Eggsy lets him take some of the weight, leaning entirely onto him as his arms wrap around Merlin’s waist and curl fists into the fabric on his shoulder blades. Merlin guides his head to press his face into the hollow of his throat, curling fingers into his hair, the other arm wrapping tightly to keep him upright. 

“I can’t. I can’t...” He tells Merlin’s chest. He can’t what? Can’t stand the sight of his mentor broken, can’t wait to have him back on his feet, or can’t bare the thought of him never returning? Merlin rubs down his back. 

“It’s alright, Luv. We’re alright.” 

“I’m sorry,” the kid mumbles. Merlin looks heavenward. 

“It’s all gunna be alright. He just needs a bit more time...” Merlin pulls a bit away from him, gently. “But what I need from you is to be strong. If you need a moment, you tell me. There’s no problem in being upset, but there is a problem in being alone.” He rubs Eggsy’s shoulder, who has started to sober up. “He needs us right now. Needs you to be strong.” 

Eggsy rubs his tired eyes with his fists, nodding. He physically shakes himself out like a wet rag. 

“That’s it’s, doll, you’re okay,” Merlin tells him once more, would tell him a hundred times if he needed it. He pushes the boy back a foot to straighten his jacket, pulling on the bottom, before sweeping fingers over his belly to do up the buttons. 

He’s certainly standing more stable now. “You can go, if it’s best. You don’t have to stay.” Merlin reminds him, having leaned back against the stall door to have it swing open. 

Eggsy nods. He knows this, but he also knows what he should do. Merlin knows too. 

“Ready?” he asks. 

Eggsy nods. “Ready.”

“Good man,” Merlin smiles, a hand smacking between his shoulder blades, and staying there, guiding him gently down the hall, ensuring he knows he’s there for him, if needed.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for your comments and kudos! Kisses, J!
> 
> Visit me @ [ghostcas](http://www.ghostycas.tumblr.com) on tumblr.


End file.
